25 years ago, Ol’ Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang Clan released his solo debut Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. Now a massive anniversary edition has been announced, available as 43 digital tracks or nine 7-inch vinyl discs.
Within the Wu-Tang Expanded Universe, Return to the 36 Chambers was part of the legendary run of solo records that followed the group’s 1993 premiere Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers. Coming after Method Man’s Tical, and shortly before Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, GZA’s Liquid Swords, and Ironman from Ghostface Killah, ODB proved he was more than a change-of-pace MC for the group, and that his outsized persona could carry an album on its own. ODB scored hits with the singles “Brooklyn Zoo” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”, and his frank, often hilarious discourses on sex and street life still have the power to drop jaws today.
The 25th anniversary digital edition comes flush with alternate takes of these classic tracks, including instrumentals, extended editions, remixes, and a series of “stripped” versions which reduce the backing tracks to sparse essentials. The Ol’ Dirty Bastard Estate has previewed the album by releasing “Brooklyn Zoo (Stripped Version)”, which contains simple, haunting loops and a voice-forward mix. Check it out below.
The digital deluxe reissue of Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version is out March 27th. The vinyl version, featuring all 17 songs from the original album pressed on blue, yellow, and white 7-inch, will be released on April 18th, Record Store Day.
While Ol’ Dirty Bastard passed away in 2004, other members of Wu-Tang Clan are still making art. In February RZA shared a new meditative EP Guided Explorations, and last fall Wu-Tang got its own amusement park in South Korea. The Clan is currently on tour, with stops at Festival Estereo Picnic 2020 and iii Points. Tickets are available here.
Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version 25th Anniversary Artwork:
Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Digital Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. Shimmy Shimmy Ya
03. Baby C’Mon
04. Brooklyn Zoo
05. Hippa To Da Hoppa
06. Raw Hide (feat. Raekwon & Method Man)
07. Damage (feat. GZA)
08. Don’t U Know (feat. Killah Priest)
09. The Stomp
10. Goin’ Down
11. Drunk Game (Sweet Sugar Pie)
12. Snakes (feat. Killah Priest, RZA, Masta Killa & Buddha Monk)
13. Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane) (feat. Ghostface Killah)
14. Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo (feat. Brooklyn Zu, Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest, & 60 Second Assassin)
15. Cuttin’ Headz (feat. RZA)
16. Dirty Dancin’ (feat. Method Man)
17. Harlem World
18. Ol’ Dirty’s Back (LP Version) *
19. Shimmy Shimmy Ya (Extended Version) *
20. Don’t You Know, Part II *
21. Give It To Ya Raw (SD50 Remix) *
22. Brooklyn Zoo (Stripped Version) **
23. Shimmy Shimmy Ya (Stripped Version) **
24. Shimmy Shimmy Ya (Instrumental) *
25. Baby C’Mon (Instrumental) *
26. Brooklyn Zoo (Instrumental) *
27. Hippa To Da Hoppa (Instrumental) *
28. Raw Hide (Instrumental) *
29. Damage (Instrumental) *
30. Don’t U Know (Instrumental) *
31. The Stomp (Instrumental) *
32. Goin’ Down (Instrumental) *
33. Drunk Games (Instrumental) *
34. Snakes (Instrumental) *
35. Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane) (Instrumental) *
36. Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo (Instrumental) *
37. Dirty Dancin’ (Instrumental) *
38. Harlem World (Instrumental) *
39. Shimmy Shimmy Ya (Extended Instrumental) *
40. Shimmy Shimmy Ya (Studio Ton Remix Instrumental) *
41. Brooklyn Zoo (Lord Digga Remix Instrumental) *
42. Brooklyn Zoo (Lord Digga Remix) *
43. Shimmy Shimmy Ya (Extended Acapella) *
* = previously unavailable digitally
** = previously unreleased
Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Vinyl Tracklist:
Disc One
01. Intro
02. Shimmy Shimmy Ya
Disc Two
01. C’mon
02. Brooklyn Zoo
Disc Three
01. Hippa To Da Hoppa
02. Raw Hide (feat. Raekwon & Method Man)
Disc Four
01. Damage (feat. GZA)
02.Don’t U Know” (feat. Killah Priest)
Disc Five
01. The Stomp
02. Goin’ Down
Disc Six
01. Drunk Game (Sweet Sugar Pie)
02. Snakes” (feat. Killah Priest, RZA, Masta Killa & Buddha Monk)
Disc Seven
01. Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane) Part 1 (feat. Ghostface Killah)
02.Brooklyn Zoo II (Tiger Crane) Part 2
Disc Eight
01. Proteck Ya Neck II the Zoo (feat. Brooklyn Zu, Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest, & 60 Second Assassin)
02. Cuttin’ Headz (feat. RZA)
Disc Nine
01. Dirty Dancin’ (feat. Method Man)
02. Harlem World
Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s Return to the 36 Chambers Gets 25th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue
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